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The Timeless Collaboration of Artwork and Sports Cards

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The Timeless Collaboration of Artwork and Sports Cards op Ink& PAPER The timeless collaboration of artwork and sports cards BY DAVID LEE ports cards, like paintings, have no intrinsic value. Both are simply ink on paper. But as novelist Jerzy Kosiński wrote, “The prin- ciples of true art is not to portray, but to evoke.” SThe same can be said about sports cards. Like art, the value is not in what they’re made of. It’s in what they evoke. It’s how they make you feel. Art and cards are timeless. Both are creative expressions. They mark history and conjure memories. They tell stories and mold culture. To appreciate them requires imagination. Maybe that’s why they have collaborated so naturally for more than a century. From the colorized images on the early 1900s tobacco cards to the widely popular Topps Project 2020 today, sometimes art and sports cards are one in the same. op — 32 ART OF THE GAME — — ART OF THE GAME 33 — Ink& PAPER Launching the Modern Baseball Card op The evolution of baseball cards took a huge leap forward in the early 1950s as Topps and Bowman battled for dominance in the industry. Led by visionary executive Sy Berger, who is referred to as “the father of the modern baseball card,” Topps brought unique size, designs, player stats, and overall beautiful eye appeal to post-World War II baseball cards. Following the groundbreaking 1952 Topps set, the 1953 release derived its images from miniature oil paintings. The result is the most iconic uniting of artwork and sports cards ever produced. “I designed that 1953 card and was instrumental in getting the painting done,” Berger once told Sports Collectors Digest. “We had a guy doing those paintings a mile-a-minute. A little off-the-wall guy named Moishe. He did the bulk of the cards.” — 34 ART OF THE GAME — Ink& PAPER They were all black-and-white watercolor paintings and will always be one of my best sets.” “ James Fiorentino, artist of the Upper Deck Fiorentino Collection In 2010, more than 100 original paintings for the 1953 set hit Robert Edward Auctions in what was dubbed “The Sy Berger Collection.” In 2018, the Satchel Paige painting resurfaced in another sale that commanded $45,000. That 1953 set is largely responsible for in- spiring one of today’s premier sports artists. James Fiorentino, who has painted profes- sionally since he was a teenager and is behind some of the most popular art cards of the last 20 years, says the set is one of his all-time favorites. “One of my mentors and friends Derek Jeter, Hank Aaron, Ken Griffey Jr. and Barry Bonds. Two years later, when I was in high school and college was Upper Deck commissioned Fiorentino to create more than 70 paintings for Gerry Dvorak, who was one of the original the Fiorentino Collection. The cards were inserted in Upper Deck Legends ’53 artists. I just love the cards he painted for products for baseball, football, basketball and hockey. that set.” “They were all black-and-white watercolor paintings and will always be In 1999, Fiorentino realized a dream one of my best sets,” he says. Fiorentino says he’s currently working on a set when he created paintings for Topps Gal- for Topps to release in 2021 that features card-size paintings. “This will be lery Heritage—20 baseball cards styled after the first time I am working card-size for an original painting, and I’m really that iconic 1953 set featuring names such as excited about it!” — 36 ART OF THE GAME — — ART OF THE GAME 37 — Ink& PAPER Paying Tribute to the Kings op Two of the longest-standing art card programs are baseball’s Diamond Kings and football’s Gridiron Kings. Diamond Kings dates back to the second Donruss set in 1982, featuring more than 20 painting cards with a portrait and action illustration of the featured player. The theme has been used in Donruss products ever since and even launched a full Donruss Diamond Kings product in 1992. Canvas-style card stock, elegant border frames, autographs and memorabilia swatch- es have been added over the years. It took more than 10 years for the theme to jump to football. Gridiron Kings appeared in 1999 Donruss football as inserts of more than 30 stars, legends and rookies. A few legends, such as the Walter Payton, Johnny Unitas and Jim Brown autographed a limited run of their cards. Gridiron Kings, in some form, has been produced in most years over the past two decades. Topps Art Projects op In the spring of 2020, Topps launched a unique program partnering with 20 of the most talented artists in the world. Painters, graphic designers, tattoo artists, and even jew- elry designers participated in Project 2020 to reimagine 20 iconic Topps baseball cards dat- ing back to 1952. Each artist recreated all 20 cards for a total of 400 cards. Two cards were unveiled each business day and available for purchase for 48 hours. The print run of each card was determined by the number of sales. — 38 ART OF THE GAME — Ink& When Sports PAPER Cards Create ART Traditionally, art is used to create sports cards. But some artists are using cards to create their art. Tim Car- roll is considered one of the most unique sports artists in the industry. Essentially, he slices up trading cards to create mosaic artwork resembling iconic cards. Carroll recreates even the smallest aspects of the original card, such as borders, logos, signatures, serial-numbering, and sometimes even a graded card slab. One piece can require thousands of cards and take 100 hours or more to create. Project 2020 quickly caught on, creating Carroll has recreated iconic cards such as the T206 a frenzy of online activity, especially when Honus Wagner, 1952 Topps Willie Mays, 1986-87 Fleer most people were stuck at home during the COVID pandemic. The creative expressions Michael Jordan Rookie Card, and even a T206 Ty Cobb in a of so many different artists gave collectors PSA slab. His piece styled after 1955 Topps Sandy Koufax new ways to appreciate the cards. Jewelry de- signer Ben Baller’s recreation of Mike Trout’s hangs in the Shoebox Treasures baseball card exhibit at 2011 Topps Update card sold nearly 35,000 Jennis says the unique attraction to marrying artwork and cards is being the National Baseball Hall of Fame. copies. The artists also promoted their work able to collect the player and the artist. “To me, it becomes more valuable Laine Harper, owner of When It Was a Game Sports Art, to their followers, further boosting the ap- than just a static photograph,” he says. “I want you to enjoy the essence of preciation for artwork and cards. that player. I don’t want it to be more about me than the guy I’m trying to found a way for collectors to enjoy their favorite sports For the Game Within The Game project, portray. As a portrait artist, I’m paying tribute to the player and the base- cards by creating watercolor paintings of cards. The idea Topps partnered with portrait artist Paul ball card. I think it’s added value. You can do so much more with the art to began when she painted a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle for Jennis to create paintings featuring baseball expand on the honor [of the player] or take a point of view.” stars in action in the foreground and a larger Artistic sports cards may be more popular than ever. MLB.com writer her boyfriend. Now she paints and sells her original work portrait image in the background. A new cre- Michael Clair describes baseball cards as “little portals to baseball history” at sports card and memorabilia shows. ation was released each month in the form of and “souvenirs of the years we’ve lived and the games we’ve watched.” a trading card, 10-by-14-inch print numbered They may just be ink and paper, but for fans and collectors, they can “Sports cards are art themselves,” Harper says. “It to 99 copies, and a print hand-numbered to 1. be priceless. starts with the photographer capturing the athlete at his or her best, and then the process of selecting and editing As a portrait artist, I’m paying tribute to the that photo. Then there is the design process to create the card. It’s all an artistic process. When I paint, I try to bring player and the baseball card. I think it’s added value.” movement to my paintings while also showing the athlete “ Paul Jennis, artist of the Topps Game Within The Game project in the best portrayal possible.” — 40 ART OF THE GAME — — ART OF THE GAME 41 —.
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